The Saints head to Baltimore with the spotlight fixed squarely on the quarterback matchup, and it’s a tough one on paper. New Orleans is coming off a loss in Detroit, and now it gets Lamar Jackson, a two-time MVP who looked fully dialed in last week in Indianapolis.
Jackson’s debut under new head coach Jesse Minter and new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle went about as well as Baltimore could have hoped. Doyle, who worked under Sean Payton from 2019-2022 before following him to Denver for the 2023 and 2024 seasons, was promoted to OC under Ben Johnson last season with the Chicago Bears and is now calling the shots in Baltimore. Against the Colts, Jackson went 17/25 for 324 yards, averaging 13 yards per attempt, with one passing touchdown, 40 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and no turnovers.
If Doyle keeps getting that kind of efficiency out of Jackson as a passer, Baltimore’s offense is going to be a problem for everybody else. And that’s before even getting to Derrick Henry, who is still giving the Ravens balance on the ground.
For the Saints, the challenge is obvious. Jackson is becoming more patient as a thrower, but the run threat is still what makes him so hard to handle.
His speed, burst, and open-field vision make him feel more like a running back once he escapes the pocket. There’s just no easy answer there.
New Orleans’ defense, to its credit, did not play badly against Detroit. The bigger issue was the offense putting it in tough spots, especially in the third quarter when back-to-back turnovers quickly snowballed. Cleaning that up has to be part of the plan this week.
And that brings everything back to Tyler Shough.
Shough just turned in one of the most eye-catching second halves the Saints have had in a long time. He finished last week with 410 passing yards on 35/56 completions, a 62.5% completion rate, three touchdowns, two interceptions, and a fumble. But the real story was how dramatically he flipped the script after halftime.
It took New Orleans falling behind 21-0 in the third quarter for Shough to really catch fire, and once he did, he was outstanding. In the second half alone, he went 25/34 for a 73.5% completion percentage, threw three touchdowns, and helped the Saints put up 30 points.
That kind of half is franchise-level stuff.
Still, the Saints can’t afford to wait around again. If they fall behind early in Baltimore against a defense that’s likely to come after them, the comeback window could close fast.
The pass rush is another major test. New Orleans didn’t handle Aidan Hutchinson well last week, and Baltimore added Trey Hendrickson in the offseason to strengthen its own rush. On top of that, the Ravens have a strong corner in Nate Wiggins, who can line up against Chris Olave.
So the Saints need Shough to be steady from the opening snap all the way through the final whistle if they want a chance at the upset. Baltimore is favored by 8.5 points, and that tells you everything about the size of the challenge.
It’s a long shot, sure. But the NFL never runs out of surprises.
In Other News...
Saints Front Could Expose A Real Ravens Problem
The Ravens just rolled up 41 points and 506 total yards even while their offensive line drew multiple penalties, but the bigger concern for Baltimore is what comes next. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley and left guard John Simpson are dealing with injuries that leave their status uncertain for the matchup with New Orleans, and that is exactly the kind of setup the Saints front likes to exploit.
New Orleans opened the season with five sacks and has the sort of pass-rush depth that can make even a productive offense uncomfortable. If Baltimore is forced to patch together the left side of its line, the Saints will have a real chance to turn those protection questions into pressure, and possibly into the kind of disruption that changes the flow of the game. [Read more 🡒]
Saints May Have Found The Answer At Receiver For Now
Devaughn Vele wasted little time making his case in the Saints' season opener, hauling in seven of nine targets for 69 yards and a touchdown while working 91% of the offensive snaps. For a player who arrived in the league as a seventh-round pick after starting as a walk-on at Utah, the early usage was a clear sign that New Orleans already trusts him as a major part of the passing game.
With Jordyn Tyson sidelined by injury, Vele has stepped into the No. 2 receiver role and given the offense a reliable target when it needed one. His path has already included a midseason contribution for the Saints last year before an injury cut that run short, so the question now is less about whether he belongs and more about how long he can keep this role once the rest of the receiver room gets healthy. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Get A Timely Boost Before Their Toughest Test Yet
Cam Jordan and Alvin Kamara are back on the practice-to-game track for New Orleans after both were removed from the injury report, a welcome development as the Saints prepare for their toughest early-season assignment against the Baltimore Ravens. Their absence in Week 1 showed up in the places the Saints could least afford it, with the run game sputtering and the pass rush not creating enough disruption.
Jordans return gives New Orleans a much-needed edge on defense, especially with Derrick Henry looming as the centerpiece of Baltimores ground attack. For a team trying to steady itself quickly, getting two proven playmakers back in time for a matchup like this changes the tone of the week, even if the challenge ahead remains as difficult as advertised. [Read more 🡒]